U.S. patent application number 11/833871 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-30 for aircraft cabin lighting.
Invention is credited to Charles K. Lau, Thomas L. LeBlanc, Mark E. Wentland.
Application Number | 20080266886 11/833871 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39886746 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080266886 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wentland; Mark E. ; et
al. |
October 30, 2008 |
AIRCRAFT CABIN LIGHTING
Abstract
The incorporation of a variety of illumination sources to
provide the additional light sources that reflect against a ceiling
panel to provide an altered ceiling height effect in an aircraft.
The incorporation of floor, aisle and door illumination provides
the added benefit of facilitating emergency evacuation of the
aircraft.
Inventors: |
Wentland; Mark E.;
(Lynnwood, WA) ; LeBlanc; Thomas L.; (Mukilteo,
WA) ; Lau; Charles K.; (Everett, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KLEIN, O'NEILL & SINGH, LLP
43 CORPORATE PARK, SUITE 204
IRVINE
CA
92606
US
|
Family ID: |
39886746 |
Appl. No.: |
11/833871 |
Filed: |
August 3, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60926635 |
Apr 27, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/470 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64D 47/02 20130101;
B60Q 3/43 20170201; B64D 2011/0038 20130101; B64D 11/00 20130101;
B60Q 3/47 20170201 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/470 |
International
Class: |
B64D 47/02 20060101
B64D047/02 |
Claims
1. A lighting system for an aircraft interior to produce a tiered
ceiling height effect comprising: a first illumination source; a
second illumination source; and at least one panel diffuser that
selectively appears translucent or opaque and the at least one
panel diffuser positioned between a ceiling of an aircraft and
passenger seats disposed in the aircraft.
2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one panel
diffuser appears translucent when illuminated by a first
combination of light from said first and second illumination
sources and wherein said at least one panel diffuser appears opaque
when illuminated by a second combination of light from said first
and second illumination sources.
3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first illumination
source comprises a combination of main ceiling lights, sidewall
lights, and accent pot lights; and wherein the second illumination
source comprises a combination of sidewall lights, and accent pot
lights, and floor lights.
4. The lighting system of claim 3, wherein the panel diffuser
comprises a translucent material, which allows light to come
through.
5. A lighting system for an aircraft interior to produce a tiered
ceiling height effect comprising: a first illumination source; a
second illumination source; a light intensity controller to control
the color and intensity of illumination from the first and second
illumination sources; and at least one panel diffuser positioned
between a ceiling of an aircraft and passenger seats disposed in
the aircraft.
6. A lighting system for an aircraft interior to produce a tiered
ceiling height effect comprising: a first illumination source; a
second illumination source; and at least one panel diffuser
positioned between a ceiling of an aircraft and passenger seats
disposed in the aircraft, wherein the second illumination source
comprises a floor assembly including a floor panel covered with an
electroluminescent (EL) lighting panel.
7. The lighting system of claim 6, further comprising a textured
protective covering.
8. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein said EL lighting panel
is connected to emergency power systems and provides emergency
lighting as part of an emergency evacuation processes for the
aircraft.
9. The lighting system of claim 8, further comprising rope lights
connected to said emergency power systems which encircle the
outline of an aircraft door and provide emergency lighting as part
of the emergency evacuation processes for the aircraft.
10. A lighting system for an aircraft interior to produce a tiered
ceiling height effect comprising: a first illumination source; a
second illumination source; and at least one panel diffuser
positioned between a ceiling of an aircraft and passenger seats
disposed in the aircraft, wherein the first illumination source
comprises a ceiling light; and wherein the second illumination
source comprises a floor light.
11. A lighting system for an aircraft interior to produce a tiered
ceiling height effect comprising: a first illumination source
positioned proximate the ceiling of an aircraft interior; a second
illumination source positioned proximate the floor of the aircraft
interior; and at least one panel diffuser positioned between said
first illumination source and said second illumination source; said
at least one panel diffuser appearing translucent when illuminated
with a first combination of light intensity from said first and
second illumination sources and said at least one panel diffuser
appearing opaque when illuminated with a second combination of
light intensity from said first and second illumination
sources.
12. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the first illumination
source comprises a combination of ceiling lights, sidewall lights,
and accent lights; and wherein the second illumination source
comprises a combination of sidewall lights, and accent lights, and
floor lights.
13. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein said second
illumination source provides substantially zero light intensity to
said first combination of light intensity and wherein said first
illumination source provides substantially zero light intensity to
said second combination of light intensity.
14. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the light diffuser
comprises a translucent material, which allows light to come
through.
15. The lighting system of claim 11, farther comprising a light
intensity controller to control the color and intensity of
illumination from the first and second illumination sources.
16. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the second
illumination source comprises a floor assembly including a floor
panel covered with an electroluminescent (EL) lighting panel.
17. The lighting system of claim 16, wherein said EL lighting panel
is connected to emergency power systems and provides emergency
lighting as part of an emergency evacuation processes for the
aircraft.
18. The lighting system of claim 17, further comprising rope lights
connected to said emergency power systems which encircle the
outline of an aircraft door and provide emergency lighting as part
of the emergency evacuation processes for the aircraft.
19. A method for illuminating an aircraft interior comprising:
providing at least one diffuser panel having a first side and a
second side that selectively appears translucent or opaque and
positioned between a first illumination source and a second
illumination source; and controlling the impingement of light from
the first and second illumination sources on the at least one
diffuser panel.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said controlling comprises
causing the at least one diffuser panel to appear translucent at a
first time and opaque at a second time.
21. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein said at least one panel
diffuser appears translucent when illuminated by a first
combination of light from said first and second illumination
sources and wherein said at least one panel diffuser appears opaque
when illuminated by a second combination of light from said first
and second illumination sources.
22. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the first illumination
source comprises a combination of main ceiling lights, sidewall
lights, and accent pot lights; and wherein the second illumination
source comprises a combination of sidewall lights, and accent pot
lights, and floor lights.
23. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the panel diffuser
comprises a translucent material, which allows light to come
through.
24. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein said at least one panel
diffuser appears translucent when illuminated by a first
combination of light from said first and second illumination
sources and wherein said at least one panel diffuser appears opaque
when illuminated by a second combination of light from said first
and second illumination sources.
25. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the first illumination
source comprises a combination of main ceiling lights, sidewall
lights, and accent pot lights.
26. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the panel diffuser
comprises a translucent material, which allows light to come
through.
27. The lighting system of claim 10, wherein said at least one
panel diffuser appears translucent when illuminated by a first
combination of light from said first and second illumination
sources and wherein said at least one panel diffuser appears opaque
when illuminated by a second combination of light from said first
and second illumination sources.
28. The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the first illumination
source further comprises a combination of sidewall lights, and
accent pot lights; and wherein the second illumination source
further comprises a combination of sidewall lights, and accent pot
lights.
29. The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the panel diffuser
comprises a translucent material, which allows light to come
through.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional application
Ser. No. 60/926,635, filed on Apr. 27, 2007, the entire contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft cabin
lighting.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] In general, the space in the passenger cabins of airplanes
is limited. Therefore, there is a need in the aircraft industry for
new and innovative solutions to passenger space limitations that
provide all passengers with a feeling of utmost comfort.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present embodiments provide a lighting configuration and
scheme that changes or varies the aesthetic appearance of passenger
cabins in order to improve the perception of comfort within the
space.
[0007] The embodiments provide the lighting configuration and
scheme to the passenger cabin to enhance the key rituals performed
aboard the aircraft, such as boarding, resting, eating, and the
like according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0008] The embodiments also provide a lighting configuration and
scheme for use in an emergency evacuation processes for the
aircraft according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0009] In one aspect, the incorporation of a variety of
illumination sources provides additional light sources that reflect
against a ceiling panel to provide an altered ceiling height
effect.
[0010] The incorporation of floor aisle illumination provides the
added benefit of facilitating emergency evacuation of the
aircraft.
[0011] Various embodiments of the present lighting configuration
and scheme provide benefits, including without limitation:
providing safe boarding and de-boarding; enhancing the ambience of
the airplane interior for the increased pleasure of the passenger;
and providing emergency lighting. Those of ordinary skill in the
art will appreciate that some embodiments of the present disclosure
may not provide all of the listed benefits.
[0012] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the present
embodiments will be set forth in part in the detailed description
that follows. It is to be understood that both the foregoing
general description and the following detailed description merely
provide examples, and are intended to provide an overview or
framework for understanding the nature and character of the
disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Having thus described the disclosure in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a simplified cross sectional view of an aircraft
interior showing a lighting scheme in accordance with an embodiment
of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a ceiling panel and
light diffuser system in accordance with an embodiment of the
present disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the aircraft interior
of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a floor
assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of an aircraft interior
incorporating embodiments of the present disclosure; and
[0019] FIG. 6A is a front perspective view of an aircraft door;
and
[0020] FIG. 6B is a front perspective view and a front elevation
view of another aircraft door.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not
all embodiments are shown. The disclosure may be embodied in many
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the
embodiments set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements
throughout.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a simplified cross sectional view of an aircraft
interior 100 showing a lighting scheme and configuration in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one
embodiment, the lighting scheme and lighting configuration
(hereinafter "lighting system 102") for aircraft interior 100
produces a two-tiered ceiling height effect by controlling the
relative brightness levels of main ceiling lights 104, sidewall
lighting 106, accent pot lights 108 and floor lights 110.
[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in one embodiment the aircraft
interior 100 includes ceiling panels and light diffusers. As shown
in FIG. 2, ceiling panel member 202 is a light diffuser, and
preferably is a separate piece of translucent material, which
allows light to come through. In this embodiment, cabin light is
provided by main ceiling lights 104, which act through light
diffuser 204 before passing through panel diffuser 202. By changing
the color and intensity of illumination from main ceiling lights
104, various degrees of brightness of the passenger cabin below
panel diffuser 202 can be provided, which provide a desired
impression to the passengers.
[0024] Panel diffuser 202 may include a lightweight frame structure
with a bonded translucent or perforated material. In operation,
panel diffuser 202 filters and reflects light. Depending on the
intensity and location of the light sources, diffuser panel 202 can
appear either translucent or opaque, thereby creating a change in
the visual appearance of the height of standard ceiling panels 206,
or at least a perception thereof.
[0025] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3, aircraft interior 100
includes floor assembly 302, provided in accordance with an
embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, floor
assembly 302 is composed of a structured floor panel 402, covered
with an electroluminescent (EL) lighting panel 404 (hereinafter.
"floor panel lights 404"), and covered with a textured protective
covering 406. Floor panel lights 404 are available from BE
Aerospace of Holbrook, N.Y. Textured protective covering 406 may be
patterned and is available from 3 form, Inc. of Salt Lake City,
Utah.
[0026] Floor panel lights 404 may contribute on the order of 20% of
the total ambient illumination of aircraft interior 100. In one
embodiment, floor panel lights 404 are configured to complement
sidewall lighting 106 and main ceiling lighting 104. Sidewall
lighting 106 may contribute about 30% of the total cabin ambient
lighting, Main ceiling lighting 104 may provide around 50% of the
main cabin lighting.
[0027] In operation, by controlling which illumination source is on
(e.g. main ceiling lights 104, sidewall lighting 106, accent pot
lights 108 and floor panel lights 404), and the reflection
characteristics of panel diffuser 202, one can create a two-tiered
ceiling effect. For example, when main ceiling lights 104 are
bright for boarding and deplaning, panel diffuser 202 appears
clear. Thus, standard ceiling panels 206 appear high and give the
impression of spaciousness to aircraft interior 100.
[0028] When main ceiling lights 104 are turned down or off, the
illumination provided by the remaining side panel lighting 106 and
floor panel lights 404 reflect from panel diffuser 202, which then
appears opaque, producing an illusion that ceiling 206 is lower,
which is more comforting to the passenger for rest, relaxation and
sleeping. In addition, ceiling 206 appears continuous with outboard
and centerline stowage bins 208 and 210, respectively.
[0029] A further panel diffuser is found in United States
Application No. 2006/0237585, Ser. No. 10/907,990, filed Apr. 22,
2005, entitled "Airplane Interior Systems" to Lau et al., which is
herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 5, floor panel lights 404 may be
connected to emergency power systems and used as emergency lighting
as part of an emergency evacuation processes for the aircraft. As
shown, floor panel lights 404 may lead passengers down the aircraft
aisle to aircraft doors 502.
[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6A and 6B, in addition to floor
panel lights 404, additional emergency lighting may be used to
highlight the location(s) of aircraft doors 502. Typically,
aircraft doors 502 are labeled with EXIT signs 602 (FIG. 6A), which
may be located at various locations on the door 502. It may happen,
however, that during an emergency, the EXIT signs 602 may become
blocked or obscured.
[0032] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B, rope lights
504 may be connected to emergency power systems and used as
emergency lighting as part of an emergency evacuation processes for
the aircraft. Rope lights 504 may be used to encircle the outline
of door 502. Thus, rope lights 504 reduce the possibility that
aircraft door 502 may not be seen during an emergency. A suitable
rope light 504 is available from Wiedamark, Inc. of Dallas,
Tex.
[0033] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not
limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included
within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms
are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive
sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
* * * * *